If you don’t need one immediately, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) officials suggest waiting out the current rush for REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identity cards.
“At the Virginia DMV, there’s no deadline to get a REAL ID — just plenty of good days to apply, as customers are able to apply for one year-round,” Camila Barco, a spokesman for the state agency, told FFXnow.
Starting next Wednesday, May 7, a REAL ID, military ID or passport will be required to board domestic flights or enter federal facilities, including to visit Arlington National Cemetery or Fort Belvoir. Anyone who has those acceptable alternate forms of identification, or doesn’t plan on flying in coming weeks, might be better off waiting.
“The Virginia DMV will continue to issue REAL IDs year-round, giving customers the flexibility to obtain one when it’s most convenient for them,” Barco said.
For those who do need a REAL ID in the near future, however, “time is ticking,” DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey said in a recent advisory.
Since the option became available in October 2018, more than 4.1 million Virginians have obtained REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards. That’s nearly 60% of all the identifications issued in that timeframe.
While some of the DMV’s 76 customer-service centers have seen increased visitation, overall statewide wait times have remained manageable, DMV officials said.
As with many transactions, agency officials encourage those needing service to set up an appointment in advance.
As of April 30, appointments remained available to obtain a REAL ID at several Northern Virginia service centers in May, including the Lorton location (7714 Gunston Plaza), Barco said.
There are appointments available in June and July at local offices in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax Braddock, Chantilly, Franconia, Tysons, Lorton and Woodbridge, she said.
In addition, DMV Connect — a mobile-service team that specializes in issuing driver’s licenses and ID cards — is augmenting staffing at service centers experiencing higher demand.
“In addition, DMV Connect has been operating as a pop-up service, traveling to various public locations to make it easier for customers to obtain their REAL IDs,” Barco told FFXnow.
An updated list of pop-up events is maintained on the DMV website. They include two future Northern Virginia events:
- June 2 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Reston Town Center (11951 Freedom Drive)
- July 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Herndon Fortnightly Library (768 Center Street)
The DMV website also provides real-time tracking of wait times for various walk-in services, including driver’s licenses. Times can be found linked to each service-center location.
A recent check by FFXnow’s sibling publication ARLnow on a Thursday (April 24) around midday showed estimated wait times for license services ranging from 5 minutes to an hour and 46 minutes at the DMV locations in and near Fairfax County.
Those are the times it takes to begin providing documentation for a REAL ID — a process that can be lengthy.
DMV Commissioner Lackey said residents needing to get a REAL ID can help themselves by starting the process online.
“You can easily check the required documents ahead of time and make an appointment to reserve your spot, making the whole process faster and more convenient,” he said.
A REAL ID-compliant license costs $10 more than the $32 charged for Virginia’s standard license.
The REAL ID requirement was enacted 20 years ago by the federal government, but its implementation has been postponed several times, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though not directly involved in screening passengers, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority says it’s doing its part to make travelers aware of the upcoming change.
“We’ve got countdown clocks at both airports,” MWAA spokesperson Emily McGee told FFXnow, referring to Northern Virginia’s Reagan National and Dulles International airports. “Also, both websites have web pages dedicated to the issue.”
